Means for orientating the earth working implement of a mechanical earth working machine



Dec. 2, 1969 a. sumo'r 3,481,540

MEANS FOR ORIENTATING THE EARTH WORKING IMPLEMENT OF A MECHANICAL EARTH WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CIABRJEL L. Gumo-r BY wasou g wunlcfl, Q d cummaq.

Dec. 2, 1969 G. L. sumo-r 3,481,540

MEANS FOR ORIENTATING THE EARTH WORKING IMPLEMENT OF A MECHANICAL EARTH WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GABRJEL LGumo-r United States Patent MEANS FOR ORIENTATING THE EARTH WORK- ING IMPLEMENT OF A MECHANICAL EARTH WORKING MACHINE Gabriel L. Guinot, Le Plessis-Belleville, France, assignor to Societe Anonyme Poclain, Le PIessis-Belleville, France, a French society Filed Nov. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 682,851

Claims priority, application France, Nov. 24, 1966,

84,893 rm. Cl. B66c 23/82, 23/86 U.S. Cl. 294-86 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates in general to mechanical excavators or other earth working machines and is concerned particularly with means for orientating the grab, bucket, shovel or other earth working implement of the machine.

When carrying out earth working operations with mechanical earth working machines it is sometimes necessary to re-orientate the grab, bucket or other implement (hereinafter referred to as a grab) during operation of the machine. Existing eath working machines are not provided with means for controlling the orientation of the grab, during operation and the object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical earth working machine with such control means which can be easily attached between the jib of the machine and the grab, or between an extension of the jib and grab, and which is adequately protected against impacts and shocks during use.

With this object in view the invention consists of means for orienting the grab, bucket or other earth working implement of a mechanical excavator or other earth working machine, comprising a rotary coupling member including a central shaft having at its upper end means for attaching it to the jib of the machine and at its lower end means for coupling it to the housing of a motor unit, an outer casing surrounding said central shaft and motor unit and rotatable relative thereto and carrying the grab, bucket or other implement, the motor unit comprising a motor mounted within the motor housing and coupled to the input shaft of a reduction gear, the output shaft of which is coupled to said outer casing whereby said outer casing and the grab, bucket or other implement carried thereby can rotate relative to said central shaft and motor housing.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood two embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an axial sectional view through a grab orientating means according to the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of a further embodiment with parts removed.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of these drawings the means according to the invention comprise a rotary coupling indicated generally at 1 and comprising a central shaft 3 provided at its upper end with an eye member 4 for attaching it to the jib of a mechanical earth working machine and having fixed to its lower end a ring 5 having an outwardly extending radial flange 5a. The ring 5 is held against rotation on the shaft 3 by a cotter pin 6 and against axial movement by a shoulder 7 and is locked in position on said shaft by lock nuts 8 screwed onto an externally screw threaded portion at the end of the shaft. The lock nuts 8 have an overall width which is equal to or less than the external diameters of the body portion of the ring 5.

The body portion of the ring 5 is seated in a central opening 32 in an upper end plate 31 of a cylindrical housing 25 for accommodating a motor unit hereinafter described. Said end plate 31 is provided in its outer surface with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes complementary to the circumferentially spaced holes in the flange 5a of ring 5 and said motor housing is held against rotation relative to said ring 5 by pins 33 which are seated in the holes in the end plate 31 and project into the hole in the ring 5.

Surrounding the shaft 3 and its associated parts is a part 19 of a two part outer casing 19, 36. The part 19 of said outer casing is provided at its lower end with an outwardly extending radial flange 20 by means of which it is attached to a complementary radial flange 39 formed at the upper end of the lower cylindrical part 36 of the outer casing, said parts being connected together by bolts passing through holes.

The outer casing part 36 is provided at its lower end also with an outwardly extending radial flange 38 to which the grab assembly, or an extension member 41 therefor, is attached said part 41 also being provided with an outwardly extending radial flange 40 complementary with the radial flange 38, both flanges 38 and 40 being provided with holes through which connecting bolts pass.

Within the cylindrical housing 25 is mounted the motor unit 26 which comprises an hydraulic motor 27 coupled to the input shaft 29 of an epicyclic reduction gear 28, whose output shaft 30 is made fast with bottom end plate 35 of the outer casing part 36. The output shaft 30 projects through an opening in the centre of the end plate 35 and is made fast therewith by a cotter pin 37, thus the outer casing 19, 36 is rotatable by the motor 27 through the reduction gear 26 relative to the motor unit and the shaft 3 and its associated parts.

Pressure fluid for driving the motor 27 is supplied thereto through two axial bores 22 (only one of which is shown) in the shaft 3 and connected to a source of pressure fluid through flexible pipe lines 23 and 24.

Pressure fluid for operating the grab is supplied thereto by ducts 10 and 11 in the shaft 3. The ducts 10 and 11 extend in an axial direction of the shaft 3 from the upper end thereof, where they are connected by flexible pipe lines 12 and 13 to a suitable source of fluid supply, to points intermediate the ends of shaft 3 where they each have a radial component which open one on opposite sides of said shaft 3. Surrounding the shaft 3 and rotatable relative thereto is a sleeve 16 which is provided in its inner wall with annular channels 14 and 15 into which the ducts 10 and 11 respectively lead and which are connected by flexible pipe lines 17 and 18 respectively for supplying pressure fluid to the hydraulic rams (not shown) for operating the grab. As will be seen the pipe lines 17 and 18 are passed through relatively large openings in the outer casing part 19 and this can be connected rapidly and easily.

As will be seen from the drawing the drive shafts of the motor and reduction gear are in axial alignment with the shaft 3.

In a modification of the invention shown in FIGURE 2 the output shaft 30 of the reduction gear is drivingly connected with the outer casing part 36 by the intermediary of a disc shaped member 42, the shaft 30 being ice keyed in a central recess in the disc shaped member by a key 37. The disc shaped member is provided on its underside with a central boss portion 44 which projects into a central opening 45 in the lower end plate 35 of the outer casing 36 and is thereby accurately centered. The intermediate disc shaped member 42 is drivingly connected with said outer casing 36 by means of a plurality of pins 43 which project into circumferentially spaced holes in the underside of said disc shaped member 42 and in the lower end plate 35. The dimensions of the central opening 45 in end plate 35 and of the holes in said end plate into which the pins 43 project are such that a certain radial play is possible between the boss portion 44, the pins 43 and the end plate 35. Similarly the dimensions of the opening 32 in which the ring 5 is seated and the holes in which pins 33 engage are also such that a degree of radial play is possible between the upper end plate 31 and the ring 5. The purpose of allowing for such radial play is to compensate for any slight misalignment of shaft 3 and the input and output shafts of the reduction gear. The embodiment of FIGURE 2 is in all other respects similar to that of FIGURE 1.

It will be understood that the grab orienting means according to the invention has the advantage that it can be assembled easily and quickly and if not required the motor unit and the cylindrical part 36 of the outer casing can be easily and quickly removed and the grab assembly 41 bolted directly to the part 19 of the casing.

It will also be appreciated that all the essential operating parts including the motor and the reduction gear are adequately protected against impacts and shocks by the outer casing 36.

The invention is not limited to the constructions herein described and illustrated but may be modified in details of construction without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for orienting the earth working implement of a mechanical earth Working machine, comprising a rotary coupling member including a central shaft, means for attaching the upper end of said central shaft to the jib of the machine, means for coupling the lower end of said shaft to the housing of a motor unit, an outer casing surrounding said central shaft and motor unit and rotatable relative thereto and carrying said implement, said motor unit comprising a motor mounted within the motor housing and having its drive shaft coupled to the input shaft of a reduction gear, the output shaft of the reduction gear being coupled to said outer casing, whereby said outer casing and the implement carried thereby can be rotated relative to said central shaft and motor housing by said motor.

2. Means according to claim 1, wherein said central shaft is detachably coupled to the motor housing and the output shaft of the reduction gear is keyed to the outer casing, the central shaft, the motor housing, the drive shaft of the motor and the output shaft of the reduction gear all being in coaxial alignment.

3. Means according to claim 2, wherein the motor is an hydraulic motor and pressure fluid for driving said motor is supplied through ducts suitably arranged in said central shaft and connected with a source of pressure fluid by flexible pipe lines, and wherein said central shaft is also provided with ducts for supplying pressure fiuid to hydraulic ram means for operating a mechanical grab attached to said outer casing.

4. Means according to claim 1, wherein said outer casing is a two-part casing comprising an upper part surrounding said central shaft and rotatable relative thereto and a lower cylindrical part surrounding said motor unit, said cylindrical part being provided at each end with outwardly directed radial flanges by means of which it is connected at its upper end to said upper casing part and at its lower end to a grab assembly of the machine.

5. Means according to claim 3, wherein said outer casing is a two-part casing comprising an upper part surrounding said central shaft and rotatable relative thereto and a lower cylindrical part surrounding said motor unit, said cylindrical part being provided at each end with outwardly directed radial flanges by means of which it is connected at its upper end to said upper casing part and at its lower end to a grab assembly of the machine.

6. Means for orienting the grab of a mechanical earth working machine, comprising a rotary coupling member including a central shaft, means for attaching the upper end of said central shaft to the jib of the machine, means for coupling the lower end of said shaft to the housing of a hydraulic motor unit, an outer casing surrounding said central shaft and motor unit and rotatable relative thereto and carrying said grab, said motor unit comprising a hydraulic motor mounted within the motor housing and having its drive shaft coupled to the input shaft of an epicyclic reduction gear, the output shaft of said reduction gear being coupled to said outer casing, whereby said outer casing and the grab carried thereby can be rotated relative to said central shaft and motor housing by said motor, said central shaft being provided with ducts coupled with a source of pressure fluid for driving said motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,725,996 12/1955 Britton 37-87 2,984,376 5/1961 Nielsen et al. 214-658 3,001,812 9/1961 Anderson 214-658 3,312,496 4/1967 Boutelle et al. 29488 3,314,709 4/1967 Guinot 294 3,384,409 5/1968 Guinot 29488 3,413,029 11/1968 Donovan 214656 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner E. H. EICKHOLT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

